Friends,
I have started a new blog called BE MORE. The purpose of the new blog is to share insights and inspiration to empower people, companies, communities and organizations to do and BE MORE.
Thank you for visiting A Responsible Way. I hope you will visit the new blog soon!
Be well,
Tracey--
It's that time of year again, when images of the attacks on 9/11 hit the airwaves, video sharing sites, newspapers and blogs.
Images of the horror our nation endured will always remain vivid in our minds. We still talk at the dinner table and among friends about where we were, who we were with, and how we felt at the time of the attacks. It's part of this generation's American experience.
One of the images that comes to my mind is of people from all walks of life with varying religions, ethnicity, political affiliations and viewpoints coming together united as a nation. We were kind to one another. Supportive. Tolerant. Patriotic. We hugged, cried, laughed and worried as a nation. Our bonds as Americans held us together. We were one.
Unfortunately, one of the best lessons we learned that day about ourselves has gone away. In is place is hatred, intolerance, impatience and pettiness. We've grown leery of people who are different than we are. We talk over those who have a different opinion and no longer listen. We blame others even when we look in the mirror. There are communities where flying the American flag is banned, and schools no longer begin the day with the Pledge of Allegiance. We no longer care.
Pastor Terry Jones caused a lot of fervor this week when he announced his church in Florida would burn the Koran in protest. Although he has the freedoms to do this, I am glad he has canceled the event. Instead, he intends to meet with the Imam working on plans to build a Mosque and community center at Ground Zero. Hopefully they will talk about peace and tolerance, and doing the right thing for us as a people. Hopefully they will listen.
As we commemorate the 9th anniversary of the attacks on 9/11, I hope we remember that we are all Americans and as citizens of this country, need to be united in purpose. That unity will always carry the day - always. May God bless us.
This week marks the beginning of the second year of Limeades for Learning, a cause grant-making initiative from SONIC Drive-In in conjunction with DonorsChoose.org.
From now until September 30, 2010, you have an opportunity to make a difference in your community by voting for your favorite teacher's project online once a day at www.LimeadesForLearning.com. Teachers with the most votes will receive a grant from SONIC through DonorsChoose.org for materials and experiences that inspire learning. Anyone with a valid e-mail address can participate every day!
Once again, SONIC will donate $500,000 to this campaign. If there are more than one million votes cast by September 30, SONIC will unlock an additional $100,000, bringing their total contribution to DonorsChoose.org to more than $1 million.
This year, my favorite teacher's project is from Gulf Gate Elementary School in Sarasota, FL entitled "Literacy Tubs for Little Learners." This project is from my sister's school and I'm hopeful people will vote online to support Mrs. H. and her students.
Please join me in supporting public school teachers - they are a selfless bunch who give so much of themselves so students can thrive. All it takes is one vote once a day. You'll be glad you did!
A man known for protesting the Discovery Channel's environmental programming took hostages today at the corporate office in Silver Spring, MD and eventually lost his life. Luckily, all of the hostages were freed, unharmed.
James Jay Lee has protested about Discovery before and recently distributed a notice about his intent to further protest. At what point do personal passions become so obsessive that they turn destructive?
For years, organizations such as PETA have turned advocacy into an extreme endeavor. At what point is advocacy harmful?
I believe that people with different perspectives should have their voices heard. Care2 is a favorite website of mine and they do a marvelous job of promoting advocacy among its online community in a way that's civil, courteous and informative. I'm hopeful that people will continue to advocate for issues and causes that are important to them without being destructive to others.
Bobby Bowden announced his retirement as head football coach at FSU today. The sidelines won't be the same.
I've never personally met Coach Bowden, but have always wanted to be on the sidelines with the great man himself. What would he say? How does he coach? Do players respect him? What was his association with Mickey like?
I will always remember his trick plays - I had hoped he would use a couple against Florida this last weekend as a testament to his creativity. As the second-winningest coach in college football history, I hope he will be remembered for the great coach, mentor and leader he is and not the coach who stayed on a few years too long.
Whether he stays on as an ambassador for the school or retires fully, I hope he and Mickey Andrews enjoy retirement and time spent with family and friends. They should be proud of all they've accomplished both individually and as a coaching duo. FSU football will never be the same again.
It's hard to imagine water being a precious commodity. Like the air we breathe, it's assumed there will be sufficient sources to sustain life on this planet.
Reducing water use is simple and effective. The following are a few recommendations for you and your family to conserve water*:
1. Turn the water off when brushing your teeth
2. Run your clothes and dishwasher only when full - you can save 1,000 gallons of water a month!
3. Water your lawn and garden in the morning - remember to adjust your sprinklers to target key areas that need water
4. Instead of watering your driveway to clean it, dust off the old broom and give it a go
5. Ensure you are using energy efficient appliances, including your shower head - I promise you won't look like Jerry Seinfeld!
6. Rather than rinsing fruits and veggies with running tap water, soak them in a pan
7. Use your dishwasher rather than hand washing. If you don't have one, fill up one sink with wash water and another with rinse water to conserve usage.
8. Use your garbage disposal sparingly - compost vegetables for waste instead - you'll have gallons of water and give back to the environment!
9. Use a commercial car wash that recycles water
10. Better yet - wash your car on the lawn - you get dual benefits!
Check out GOOD to view an informative and family-friendly video and for more information. You can also check out Water Use it Wisely for additional tips. Drink up!
*Source: Water: Use it Wisely
"One little person giving all of her time for peace makes news. Many people giving some of their time can make history" - Pilgrim, Peace
Have you ever sent a letter to your Congressman about an issue that was important to you? How about posting a charity walk event on your Facebook profile? Better yet, have you volunteered a skill set to a non-profit in need of free service?
Lending your "voice" and skills to others in need is a terrific way make a difference. If you have a blog, write about your favorite charity and encourage others to take part. I learned from Liz at Mom-101 today about a new online site called Bloganthropy. This venture is a terrific way for groups of people to take part in building community. If advocacy is more your style, take part. There are several terrific sites to learn more, including Get Involved, the Institute for Sustainable Communities and Care2.
Imagine the good that can happen if everyone participated, in some small way, to advance those in need!
"O beautiful for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain. For purple mountain majesties above the fruited plain! America! America! God shed his grace on thee. And crown thy good with brotherhood, from sea to shining sea." - Katharine Lee Bates, 1895
When I think of environmental responsibility, this song comes to mind. I try not to focus on the doom and gloom of global warming, or taxes on driving. Instead, I focus on the wonders of this planet and organic beauty of nature. My hope is that future generations will enjoy as many breath-taking parks, vistas, water falls, sea creatures, monuments, mountains and trees that I have experienced.
For me, I learned of the importance of preserving our environment from camping each summer with my family. We would pack up the VW van and take our 6-person tent across the country to destinations unknown. Of course, I'm sure the emissions of the VW van wouldn't pass muster today but it was always an adventure!
Teaching tomorrow's future about nature is important. Preserving our national parks and saving our lands should be both an honor and an obligation. There are terrific resources to teach kids about the environment and dangers that exist from misuse. From the National Park Service to the Discovery Channel to Kids for Saving Earth, resources abound for inspiring new generations to protect our natural wonders. The Boy and Girl Scouts of America are fantastic organizations to instill the basics as well.
Feel like doing more to help the environment? How about participating in a local Adopt-a-Highway or Beach volunteer program. If you are really inspired, you can participate in a Campaign Earth challenge! Likewise, you can join the millions of people who are members of Care2, an online education and advocacy site for people wanting to make a difference.
"O beautiful for patriot dream that sees beyond the years. Thine alabaster cities gleam undimmed by human tears! America! America! God shed his grace on thee. Till nobler men keep once again thy whiter jubilee!"
Marketing and communications strategist with experience in brand marketing, public relations, strategic philanthropy, cause marketing, consumer products and licensing.
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